Tikhiy emphasized that there are no grounds to trust Russia's latest statements.
"We believe that there are no reasons to believe yet another Russian lie. However, there are reasons to trust our partners. The aim of these comments is clear – to sow discord between Ukraine and France, between Ukraine and its allies, and among the allies themselves. This is a common strategy of Russia, which they consistently adhere to," he stated at a briefing.
Tikhiy noted that Lavrov, the "author of the comments," is not only a criminal responsible for aggression against Ukraine but also a "pathological liar." The Foreign Ministry representative reminded everyone of Lavrov's statements, particularly his claims that the bombing of a maternity hospital in Mariupol and the atrocities of Russian troops in Bucha were staged and fake.
"It seems to me that after such words, taking any of his 'revelations' seriously is a sign of disrespect to oneself. We have no grounds to believe this lie," he said.
On December 26, Lavrov stated in an interview with Russian and foreign media, as cited by "Kommersant", that France had repeatedly reached out to Russia through "closed channels." According to him, Paris proposed to resume negotiations without Ukraine's participation. At the same time, he noted that Russia is not opposed to contacts but expressed grievances towards France, which he claimed is the main initiator of the idea to introduce peacekeeping forces into Ukraine.